Retail industry

Caring face fails to dispel charges of orphan abuse

Article Abstract:

Chinese officials are going to great lengths to refute allegations made recently by Human Rights Watch (HRW) that orphaned babies and infants housed in the Shanghai Children's Welfare Institute were deliberately starved and physically abused until 1993. The institute is now a showcase for the care of orphans in China, attracting foreign media and overseas couples seeking to adopt a Chinese child. However, there is still concern about apparently high death rates there before 1993. The authorities have attributed this to the fact that many children were in a very poor state when they arrived at the orphanage.

Cure gives little joy to victims of leprosy

Article Abstract:

The introduction of multi-drug therapy in China in 1987 has had a dramatic impact on the treatment of leprosy. The number of cases under active treatment declined to 4,045 in 1997, with around 2,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. Lepers who are treated early can avoid permanent disfigurement, but this is not the case for those who were treated and cured before multi-drug therapy became available. These people often prefer to live in special villages, as they find that they are not accepted by society at large.

Trade in that car ... or else

Article Abstract:

An anti-corruption campaign in China has included measures forcing government departments to dispose of luxury cars which were being used by their officials. These officials will now have to use cheaper, locally-made models. Revelations made in recent weeks have shed further light on the deep-seated nature of the corruption problem in China.